Service-process providing system and service-process providing method

Abstract

A service provider has prepared in advance a process definition which includes only a minimum amount of service required. Then, under this condition alone, a user is requested to add a necessary service to the process definition. This permits the user to utilize a customized process. A service providing server prepares the process definition and an addable service addable thereto, thereby allowing presentation of the definition and the service to the user. In accordance with an instruction by the user, a user client makes assistances such as making a judgment on addition possibility or impossibility of the service to the process definition. The service providing server makes a judgment on execution possibility or impossibility of the service requested by the user, then dynamically adding the service to the process definition and executing the service.

1 . A service-process providing system, comprising: 
 a single or a plurality of service-process providing server, and    a service display/input device as a plurality of user clients, said servers and said service display/input device being connected to each other via a network,    wherein said service-process providing system provides a process definition to the outside, and executes said process based on message reception from said user clients, said process definition describing execution sequence of a plurality of services, said service-process providing server comprising:    a process-definition storage device for storing a process definition which includes a minimum amount of service required,    an addable-service storage device for storing information on a service which a user can add to said process definition and can utilize,    a service output unit for outputting, to said user clients, said information on said process definition and said addable service,    a requested-service storage device for storing said information on said addable service on each process-instance basis, said addable service being requested by said user, and    a request analysis unit for determining a service to be executed next during execution of each process instance.    
   
   
       2 . The service-process providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said addable-service storage device stores an identifier of said process definition to which said service is addable, identifier and name of said service itself, input data which becomes necessary as addition when executing said service, a prerequisite-service condition which should be completed before executing said service, data conditions for making a judgment on addition possibility or impossibility of said service, timing information for making a judgment on execution possibility or impossibility of said service, and a data update method for updating data which should be updated by reflecting a result of said execution of said service.  
   
   
       3 . The service-process providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said addable-service storage device stores an identifier of said process instance, an identifier of said process definition, and said addable service requested by said user.  
   
   
       4 . The service-process providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said service output unit notifies said user client of said information on said process definition an and said addable service addable to said process definition, and an identifier of a possible linkage-destination process definition.  
   
   
       5 . The service-process providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said user client 
 acquires said information on said process definition and said addable service addable to said process definition, including said information on a possible linkage-destination process definition, and    displays said acquired information to said user, and waits for an instruction therefrom, and,    if any instruction of addition of said service exists, judges addition possibility or impossibility by evaluating said prerequisite-service condition and said data conditions, and    prompts said user to redo said service specification or said input-data specification until all of said conditions have been satisfied, and, if all of said conditions have been satisfied,    generates a message describing application data and said addable-service information, and transmits said message to said service-process providing server.    
   
   
       6 . The service-process providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said request analysis unit, if notified of generation of said process instance from an engine,    stores data into said requested-service storage device and an application-data storage device, said data being acquired from said received message, and, if notified of state change of said process instance therefrom,    updates said requested-service storage device and said application-data storage device with said data acquired from said received message, and, if, although there exists a request for a single or more addable services to said process instance, prerequisite service for any one of said addable services has been not completed, or if there exists none of said request for said single or more addable services to said process instance,    determines a service to be executed next in accordance with said process definition, and instructs said engine to execute said service.    
   
   
       7 . The service-process providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said request analysis unit, if notified of generation of said process instance from an engine,    stores data into said requested-service storage device and an application-data storage device, said data being acquired from said received message, and, if notified of state change of said process instance therefrom,    updates said requested-service storage device and said application-data storage device with said data acquired from said received message, and, if there exists a request for a single or more addable services to said process instance, and also if prerequisite service for any one of said addable services has been completed,    provisionally determines said addable service as a service to be executed next, and, if said addable service satisfies said data conditions,    formally determines said addable service as said service to be executed next, deletes information on said addable service from said requested-service storage device, and instructs said engine to execute said addable service.    
   
   
       8 . The service-process providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said request analysis unit, if notified of generation of said process instance from an engine,    stores data into said requested-service storage device and an application-data storage device, said data being acquired from said received message, and, if notified of state change of said process instance therefrom,    updates said requested-service storage device and said application-data storage device with said data acquired from said received message, and, if there exists a request for a single or more addable services to said process instance, and also if prerequisite service for any one of said addable services has been completed,    provisionally determines said addable service as a service to be executed next, and, if said addable service does not satisfy said data conditions,    deletes information on said addable service from said requested-service storage device, and again, carries out said processing for determining a service to be executed next.    
   
   
       9 . A service-process providing method in a service-process providing system comprising a single or a plurality of service-process providing servers, and a service display/input device or devices as a plurality of user clients, said server or servers and said service display/input device being connected to each other via a network, wherein said service-process providing system provides a process definition to the outside, and executes said process based on message reception from said user clients, said process definition describing execution sequence of a plurality of services, 
 said service-process providing server comprising a process-definition storage device for storing a process definition which includes a minimum amount of service required, an addable-service storage device for storing information on a service which a user can add to said process definition and can utilize, a service output unit for outputting, to said user clients, said information on said process definition and said addable service, a requested-service storage device for storing said information on said addable service on each process-instance basis, said addable service being requested by said user, and a request analysis unit for determining a service to be executed next during execution of each process instance,    said service-process providing method, comprising the steps of:    , in said request analysis unit, if notified of generation of said process instance from an engine,    storing data into said requested-service storage device and an application-data storage device, said data being acquired from said received message, and, if notified of state change of said process instance therefrom,    updating said requested-service storage device and said application-data storage device with said data acquired from said received message, and, if, although there exists a request for a single or more addable services to said process instance, prerequisite service for any one of said addable services has been not completed, or if there exists none of said request for said single or more addable services to said process instance, and    determining a service to be executed next in accordance with said process definition, and instructing said engine to execute said service.